Delridge Grocery Cooperative has been years in the making and has s a committed team of grassroots community board members who have worked to make this dream a reality. They are now poised to launch and open the store in late summer 2014 – and are seeking a Start-up General Manager to lead this launch. With hundreds of owners, this is an opportunity to serve the needs of the community and have a unique impact in being a catalyst for change in Delridge. Our future landlord and community partner, DESC, provides housing upstairs for 66 formerly homeless residents in a building on Delridge Way SW, where the store will be located.

The manager will work closely with DESC as the space is built out, and with Delridge Grocery Cooperative’s Board of Directors and stakeholders in the community, to get the word out, raise additional capital, and simultaneously develop systems, obtain equipment and hire and train staff for opening day. Delridge Grocery Cooperative is looking for candidates to make at least an 18 month commitment to launching the store, but the position will continue indefinitely for a successful GM interested in continuing on after that.

As a municipal untility, we should be proud of City Light for many reasons, City Light says, including their protection of fish and wildlife habitats, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, resource conservation, and collaboration with stakeholders on environmental issues related to City Light’s electricity generation and distribution.

The 2013 Environment Report, their second report of this kind, is full of examples of the utility’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Visit Seattle City Light’s environment pages to read the report and learn more about City Light’s efforts and accomplishments.

City Light Says “Get Ready for Advanced Meters!”

Starting in 2016, City Light will be rolling out an exciting new technology – Advanced Metering!

This new generation of metering is the foundation of the “Smart Grid,” and will deliver more reliability and provide for more accuracy in billing. City Light is also hoping it will help their customers save money on their City Light bill by providing them more information on their energy use.

City Light conducted a series of public meetings about this initiative last summer, and have been collecting comments on their Advanced Metering website since mid-2013. One of the most common questions City Light receives is about the role of the meter readers. The good news is that we don’t anticipate any layoffs – many current employees are eligible for retirement in the next five years, so it is City Light’s plan to retrain the meter readers for jobs in other parts of the utility.

City Light has also been asked about the option of “opting out” of having an advanced meter installed. While there will be an opt-out policy, City Light says they are confident that most customers will see the advantages to advanced metering.

Do you dream of living in a tree house? Do you eagerly await the first leaf buds in the spring? Do you love to lie on your back and watch branches dancing in the breeze? Does a stroll down a tree-lined street put a smile on your face? You may be a tree lover!

The City of Seattle’s reLeaf program is looking for new Tree Ambassadors. Tree Ambassadors are a valued part of Seattle’s urban forestry network. Tree Ambassadors nurture Seattle’s trees. Volunteers are trained within a project area and have the opportunity to attend a variety of fun and informative workshops on topics like pruning, tree identification, and community engagement. Tree Ambassadors also get opportunities for unique experiences like learning to climb trees with professional rigging and tours of local botanic treasures. Volunteers who complete a project training get a free t-shirt and name tag.

Seattle reLeaf is currently recruiting new Tree Ambassadors in three project areas:

Tree Walks: Show off your favorite trees in your favorite part of Seattle. You’ll learn the basics of making maps, identifying trees, and creating walking routes to engage your neighbors and coworkers in the urban landscape. Check out the tree walks created by current Tree Ambassadors here!Next training: Wednesday, March 12 and Saturday, March 15 (attend both)

Landscape Renewal: Does seeing a tree choked by ivy drive you crazy? This project track is for you. This project track will teach you to plan and organize small-scale renovation projects. Renovation work includes removing invasive plants, planting trees and understory plants, and mulching. You’ll learn how to develop a plan, recruit volunteers, and lead work parties.Next training: Wednesday, April 2 and Saturday, April 5 (attend both)

Street Tree Stewardship: Never fear young street trees, the Tree Ambassadors are here! Volunteers in this project area adopt street tree plantings and help the City’s young street trees thrive. Tree Ambassadors learn to plan work parties and recruit volunteers to mulch, weed, and care for the trees that are essential to making Seattle’s neighborhoods walkable, sustainable, beautiful, and healthy.Next training: May 17

Tree lovers wanted! No previous tree experience is necessary for any of these project areas. If you are interested in learning more or applying to become a Tree Ambassador, please visit the website at www.seattle.gov/trees. Please contact Seattle reLeaf with any questions about the program or application at treeambassador@seattle.gov or 206-615-1668.

Do you love sharing nature with others? Are you interested in learning more about the flora and fauna of Seattle’s many public green spaces and parks? If so, you are the perfect candidate for the Seattle Volunteer Naturalist program. Volunteer Naturalists participate in 10 weeks of training and commit to providing 12 programs a year at Environmental Learning Centers and in parklands near schools throughout Seattle.

Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Volunteer Naturalists provide hands-on learning opportunities for school groups and nature programs for families and adults at Discovery Stations, destination locations throughout parks that present visitors with a theme and natural objects that help them discover their backyard parks. For example, volunteers would have a spotting scope at Bald Eagle nest locations and at Green Lake Park so visitors could follow the nesting cycle of Bald Eagles or Pied Billed Grebes. Another is a station at Me Kwa Mooks Beach or Discovery Park Beach with shells and information about intertidal creatures. One could be a Forest Station to introduce people to the many plants, mammals and birds that make the forested parklands home.

Volunteers’ backgrounds are as varied as the students they teach – the common thread is their desire to share nature with the greater Seattle community.

The goal of the Seattle Volunteer Naturalist Program is to enhance, promote and foster appreciation of nature by connecting citizens and students with their Seattle parklands, by providing educational opportunities for all.

Training begins in March 22, 2014.

Deadline for applications is February 12, 2014. For more information and to get an application, please email Penny Rose at penny.rose@seattle.gov or call at 206-386-4250.